Improvement in processes for treating tobacco



UNI ED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

J UDSOI\ A. STAFFORD AND HARVEY C. FOWLER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT In PROCESSES FOR. TREATING TOBACCQ.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 136,872, dated March 18, 187

clare that the following is a full, clear, and

complete description of the same.

The nature of our invention consists in extracting the rank taste or nicotine from the American tobacco and imparting to the same American tobacco tl1e flavor of the Cuba or Havana, thereby improving the American tobacco so that it has an improved flavor and none of the rank flavor.

We first take the American or domestic tobacco and'soak it in either cold or warm ate; from six to twelve hours, or a sufficient time to dissolve the rank gummy substance, after which the tobacco is pressed so as to extract this rank substance therefrom, leaving the tobacco free from nicotine and all other obnoxious flavors, While at the same time a certain amount of the good qualitiesof the tobacco is retained, which is necessary and desirable, for which reason no other vegetable than tobacco could be substituted. The tobacco thus treated is then dried and then impregnated with a substance to impart to the same the flavor of the Cuba or Havana tobacco, which flavor or substance is obtained as follows:

In the manufacture of cigars (or-tobacco in' other form) from the Havana tobacco, the stems and scraps are usually wasted or used in the ordinary form of smoking tobacco, which is rendered of inferior .quality because of the wood contained in the stems, while the said stems and scraps do possess a certain quantity of the desired and essential elements of the tobacco. These stems and scraps are taken and put in water and left there from two to five days, or a sufficient time to become thoroughly impregnated with the water, and then subjected to a heavy pressure suficient to extract all the moisture therefrom, thus extractin g all the desirable properties in a liquid form. The American or domestic tobacco, prepared and dried as first described, is then thoroughly saturated in this liquid taken from the Cuba or Havana tobacco, and then dried in the usual manner, when it is ready for use.

The advantage presented by our invention is that we render the domestic tobacco of nearly equal desirable flavor with the more desirable imported tobacco, taking from the same all obnoxious flavors and imparting to it flavor more desirable, which flavor is taken generally from that part of the tobacco where it cannot, by any process before known, he used. No chemicals are used of any kind, nor do we use any substance but tobacco.

Of course any liquid may be used, or even steam, to accomplish our purpose, as well as water, the purpose being in, this respect to simply get the tobacco sufficiently moist to extract the desirable properties.

It will be observed that no deception is purposed, inasmuch as all persons accustomed to manufacture, vend, or use tobacco are presumed to be capable of distinguishing between Havana and American tobacco by the appearance of the same. Nor is there any analogy between this process and those by which perfumers impregnate one substance with another. In the present instance a superior mode has been discovered of compounding 'difi'erent kinds of tobacco for economic and other purposes; and this process is manifestly in advance of all others, inasmuch as it is the only one which selects and retains the desired qualities and excludes those which are objectionable.

An important advantage of our process is that the American tobacco, which is desirable to be used as wrappers for the Havana fillers, may, when treated by our process, be used without the disagreeable flavor in smoking. 1

more robust and gross :r qu ilities of the higher the same with the flavor of the Havana to- ]atitndes'. bacco, substantially. as and for the purpose Having thus fuily described our invention; specified.

what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters JUDSON A. STAFFORD.

Patent, is- HARVEY 0. FOWLER.

The improved process herein described 0f Witnesses: treating tobacco by extracting the rank flavor W. H. BURRIDGE,

' from the domestic tobacco and impregnating J. H. BURRIDGE. 

